Sarah's Book
by TheWishfulDreamer
Summary: Having graduated from university the year prior, Sarah is hoping to follow in her mother's footsteps and become an actress. Increasingly depressed that she is growing up and there's no fantasy, she wishes for more and desires to find the origin of her now missing book, The Labyrinth. Her foe has never forgotten her.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I wrote this story over three years ago, in the middle of my university days. Now I'm the same age as Sarah in this story, out of university for a year, and desiring some magic in my own life. I thought sharing this might be a way to bring it back, even just a little.

Labyrinth: Sarah's Book

It was only for a moment. She had been sleeping for several hours, tangled up in one dream or another as much as she was wrapped in the sheets. It had been nonsense, something about floating around and colorful ribbons gliding through the air. That was the sort of dream that left an odd sort of residue behind, a blissful yet strange sort of ethereal sense upon waking. But it was to be different this time for Sarah. In that bizarre land, she felt a strange familiarity course through her body. She was running, through a green field dotted with flowers of every color, her dress flying behind her. She basked and spun among the soaring petals, a colorful array that moved with her. Her hair came down from the braids tucked around the head, flowing loosely, while her dress seemed to shrink, fitting more tightly around her body. The leaves and sensations flooded her with a sweet aroma. She felt almost serene, enjoying herself immensely. Until she saw his face. Just for a split moment, the Goblin King's sultry visage encased her view. Sarah awoke, jolting to the darkness of her bedroom and sitting up. Descending into reality, she looked at the clock nearby. 3:30 A.M. and no one else awake in the apartment. They'd all been tired from a party. She had thought she would feel some relief after finishing college. Instead, she was feeling strangely apprehensive. She loved living with her closest friends, the apartment was decent for the rent they all shared, and the city life was appealing. Even without all the stress of exams and grades, she simply felt lost. Perhaps it was that movie audition that was coming up. She was nervous, only having performed onstage. She had done several theatrical productions since graduation, but never anything like this. This was to be her first try for film. Her mother may have been somewhat famous, but that didn't guarantee anything. She knew the selection process was a harsh one and had been forewarned and lectured many times on the matter. It was on this she blamed her restlessness and worry. There were so many talented actors out there and only few went on to become big and some of them didn't even deserve that pedestal. Even the most skilled— without the right connections— could end up only in bit parts or in made for television movies with shoddy plots and poor renown.

She went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. As the coolness soothed her throat, she thought of the dream. _It's been eight years…why did I suddenly think of him again?_ Jareth still unnerved her to some degree. When she recalled the Labyrinth, she realized she had been very young and vulnerable. So many years had passed and she hadn't given much thought to Jareth at all in that time until more recently. She had said to her friends from the Labyrinth, "I have to be an adult now and go to college. I can't call on you in times of need all the time. I need to handle things on my own." In response to Ludo's sad face alongside Sir Didymus and Hoggle bowing their heads, she had said, "This isn't goodbye. I promise I'll talk to you again. I'll call to you again. It will just be a long time until I can." She had considered calling them many times, like when the exam stress became too great, when she'd had an argument with friends, and when she'd been afraid and uncertain of the path before her. Or when she'd achieved a grade she'd been ecstatic about, an award for achievement, or that coveted role she'd been craving, when the show and all its theatrics had been successful. She had almost called them, but something had held her back. There seemed to be something that told her not to, a little voice in her head. Sarah liked to daydream; she always had. And there were times that she dreamed about returning to the Labyrinth and going on another adventure. The urge had been so strong that she knew she must not call her friends back, because she _would_ have gone back. And this would have been dangerous. There was no way to return to the Labyrinth, the world of illusion and fantasy, without encountering its ruler. Somehow, deep inside, she knew her words "you have no power over me" had little impact, at least not as much as she had believed at fifteen. He was a force to be reckoned with, an obstacle that prevented her from returning. She couldn't simply visit the Labyrinth when she wanted and balance that with the real world. She had responsibilities and Jareth to think about. She considered summoning her companions for so long, but decided to hold off until the urge dissipated. There were many times she feared that as she grew older, she would never be able to call them back. That the power would leave her.

The clock across the room was shrouded in the dark and she walked forward to squint at it, though she had only checked moments before coming to the kitchen. She settled at the counter and looked around. At last it dawned on her why she had dreamed of Jareth this night. She had been reminded of something. Right before the graduation ceremony, she had gone into her room to search for some things. She had put on a necklace from years ago and the seeping memories rushed back into her mind. Then she looked under her bed, eager to see other objects she had abstained from since moving in with friends, with the insistence that she grow up and become more mature. Now she wanted to hold them again, as all glimmer of childhood was to be gone. She had reached adulthood at eighteen, more so at twenty-one, but a year later she still wavered at the thought of growing older and letting go of imagination. Turning twenty-two had scared her the most. She wasn't ready to leave her dreams behind. There was no denying that twenty-two was the age of a full-blown adult. She saw many trinkets and photos beneath the bed, her costume…but the most important piece, the one she was most apprehensive to see, was gone. The leather-bound book that she held so dearly.

The _Labyrinth._

Sarah frowned and searched deeper under the bed. _How could I have lost it? Could someone have taken it?_

"Sarah, it's time to go!"

She had sat at graduation, lulling in and out of the tedious commencement speeches. University was over. Within minutes she would hold her degree in her hand. And then there would be the whole business of getting her job, finding another place to live… but also lulling at the back of her mind was missing her friends from college, forging a new path. And strangely, the thought of her missing book. She could never replace it. It had been a rare find in a used bookstore full of dust from its many bookshelves of ancient texts. Even the author of her book was unknown. That was part of the reason she had loved it so much. Its disappearance now gave an air of mystery to the ceremony at least. Also, the clouds seemed strange, reminding her of a maze. She was sure she was reading into things far too much. It bothered her that even upon getting her degree, she was still trapped in fantasy. Her father, Karen, and Toby were watching from the audience as she received her diploma and degree in acting. After the ceremony, she'd hugged her friends tightly, made them promise to keep in touch. She had a notebook full of phone numbers of those she wished to keep in contact with. Every year, she had bid goodbye to the graduates and now, it seemed impossible that it was her turn. Her father and Karen gave her a hug, and Toby—so tall now!—told her how cool he thought she looked in her cap and gown. They took her out to a nice dinner, but she was so distracted that she didn't say much. So many thoughts crept at the back of her mind. It was hard to focus on the conversations at hand. Toby talked enough for the both of them anyway. She looked at him for a moment and wondered if there was any possibility that he remembered the Labyrinth, but he had been far too young.

She had never spoken of the adventure with anyone. She probably would never do so, not even to Toby when he grew up. No one would believe her. Sometimes the memories of that adventure came back randomly throughout the mundane cycle of a day or amidst stress for all the work she'd done. She wondered if she was trying to escape reality, but honestly, the memories of Jareth frightened her. Some of the quest had been fun, a fantastical journey that would never be compared to anything else; but mainly, it had been daunting and unpredictable. She had been too innocent then to understand entirely what Jareth may have had in mind. But the more she remembered those eyes, the more she would develop gooseflesh at each reminder and tingles that fluttered down her spine. He could have done anything he wanted. She felt silly for the apprehension. After all, it had been many years. She'd graduated from high school and university since, went through many trials and tribulations, acted in plays, experienced family drama, and enjoyed moving out on her own. Her bedroom still held memories that reminded her of all the friends she had made in that mysterious world. They had asked her to call for them in times of need. She wasn't in need, but nervous only. Being finished with all schooling once and for all was daunting, especially now that she needed to audition and follow in her mother's footsteps. She had to admit that fantasy was much more interesting than reality, despite any assertions to the contrary. Her life was dull. That world of the Labyrinth would have been so much more appealing without Jareth's demands and the pressure upon her. She couldn't dart into an alternate world simply because of fear of rejection and stress.

Sitting at the table still, Sarah could not believe that a year had passed since graduation. She had turned 23 a couple of months before. Childhood was completely gone, there was no denying it. It was time to try furthering her career. Her mother had warned her about the selection process. She was trying for a supporting role in a drama, with her credentials and stage experience to support her. But to be on the spot to impress a group of strict judges worried her. Perhaps that was why she had dreamed of the fantasy land, to evade that fear and thought of the process. But for Jareth's face to flash for a moment piqued her, as though to say she could not daydream without him as a consequence. Was that to say there could be no fantasy or adventure without Jareth? She sincerely hoped not. She decided to calm down and rest herself again. The audition was in a week and there was ample time to prepare. She knew all of her lines, had recited them multiple times. Sarah had always been fond of method acting, in which actors place themselves in the shoes of the character. To her, it felt the most natural way to act, to merge with the character and become one, to use her own past memories to conjure emotions, and to understand the journey of the character and its full impact. She suddenly felt more at ease. _I can do this_. _I've done it before and I'm fully capable of doing it again._ Settling back into her bed, she curled up and fell asleep. In her next dream, Sarah saw through her own eyes rather than watching herself. She was on her knees, her hands bound tightly in front of her with a slick, ghastly material. She peered closer. _Snakes. _He had flung them at her once before. And now with them, he held her at his mercy. Sarah was irritated when she awoke this time at around 5:00 A.M. In frustration, she turned over and again sleep came, this time uneventfully.

It rained the next evening. Deciding against staying in, she made some thorough plans to grab dinner and drinks with her roommates after they finished their errands . Though this wasn't usually her sort of thing to go out drinking, she knew staying in would be tedious. She'd tired of watching television. New commercials and music grew tiring. She made herself comfortable on the couch anyway while planning some things out. She watched some sort of drama before heading out, lounging with bare feet as the gray sky sent more daggers to prick at the window. She settled on the sort of movie that was so easy to make fun of in company of friends, yet somehow addicting when alone. A young woman was being followed and trying to discover her stalker's identity, all the while receiving notes and disturbing phone calls, all the while having no idea who would have a motive to target her. Whether at work in the middle of the day or at night all alone at home, she was fearful of this faceless entity that seemed to be relentlessly possessive. It was oddly appealing to sit and watch someone else's problems, a problem she didn't have to worry about. The woman had a successful career and handsome boyfriend, yet was troubled by the stalker, though he never appeared in person. There were a few scares, in which she heard tapping at the window, or thought someone may have gotten into her apartment. The last forty-five minutes were the most gripping. The young woman discovered that her assailant was none other than a young man whom she had politely turned down for a date, an old acquaintance she hadn't seen in months.

"You thought forgetting about me would solve your problems? That it would just make me go away?" He was shoving his hand over her mouth as she tried to scream for help in her apartment on a dark, stormy evening. Sarah was slightly amused by the similarity in weather onscreen and off. It was always fun to have a good atmosphere at hand when watching a thriller. The struggle lasted several minutes for the young woman. Of course, he was stronger than she was and able to flip her over and tie her hands and ankles together. Helpless, the girl was trying to talk him out of his pursuit, his plans of action. "Don't worry…I won't hurt you. I'm going to help you come to your senses and realize how much I love you."

_Sick_, Sarah thought, yet she remained engrossed on the spectacle before her. The woman's boyfriend was trying to get a hold of her, but the attacker ripped the phone out of the wall and abducted her, just moments before the boyfriend could show up. Continuing along with cliché, the psycho had his own secluded home, taunting her as the boyfriend continued on his valiant quest to find her after seeing the obvious signs of a struggle left behind. As lame as the movie was in plot, she was still impacted by the storyline and events at hand.

"It doesn't have to be like this…I wanted to be friends." Her voice was impacted by the steady shuddering and horrified gasps that plagued a woman bound and vulnerable. _Wow, they actually got a decent actress_, Sarah thought. _But the dialogue could use some work_. "I didn't mean it to hurt you."

"I don't want your friendship," the man hissed. "I want you!"

Sarah felt the edge in her stomach rise as a strange shadow fell over the actor's face. He was walking readily towards the bed, where he had left the girl. He jumped on her as the actress screamed, "No!" with such realistic vigor that Sarah felt chills run across her. With one strong hand, he ripped the shirt she wore down the front. Sarah's own hand fumbled for the remote, feeling desperate when she couldn't find it and had to listen to the prolonged struggle even longer, the pleas, grunts, and ripping. At last, she found the switch and turned it off. She didn't want to see what happened next, even if the girl would get saved before her captor could do anything. That obsession and power were too real for comfort. She set the remote down on the coffee table and willed the disturbing images of the film to disperse.

"You thought forgetting about me would solve your problems?" Sarah shuddered as she remembered those words. _Why do I keep thinking about Jareth in relation to everything?_ He was a fascinating figure, but recently he kept coming to mind. Perhaps it was the same situation; forgetting about him would do nothing. She shook her head, refusing to believe it. She had only had a dream and some recurrent thoughts. But there had been no sign for eight years. Knowing it was time to leave for her plans anyway, Sarah stood up and grabbed her sweater, opting not to change out of her dress and figuring she would be warm enough. She worked at the buttons, grabbed her purse and umbrella, then stepped out into the storm. Luckily, there wasn't much wind, so the walk over was comfortable and tranquil. Sarah adored the rain. She always had. Perhaps it was that interest she had in using her imagination, always loving to bask in the gloomy or suspenseful atmosphere, to write, to watch movies, to dream. While everyone else would groan when the weatherman saw a downpour coming, she would grin and look forward to it. That was not to say that she didn't enjoy the sun, but it was always nice to have a balance. She always took full advantage of each rainy day, even during college when the workload was on high. She would spare at least an hour to go on a walk or read a good book and watch a suspenseful movie before bed, then listen to the constant, comforting pattering on the windows.

She waited for her roommates in front of the pizza bar where they were going to eat dinner, ten blocks away from their apartment. But they weren't there even ten minutes after the agreed time. Sarah breathed in the smell of the wet pavement and listened to the music of each drop beating onto her umbrella. Couples walked by arm-in- arm, cuddling close to keep warm. Children laughed and ran around in their slickers and rain boots as they held their parents' hands. The cars on the road became scarcer as time went on. Soon she was alone.

Music floated out of the bar onto the street. But this song was from around the time she'd gone on her great adventure. She couldn't understand the nostalgia, for a time that was so full of angst. The tension bothered her. She had already looked into the bar to be sure her friends weren't there yet. She checked one more time, the tunes overwhelming her as she opened the door. She could smell the tempting waft of pizza and the bitterness of beer. But there was no sign of them from the doorway. She closed her umbrella, shaking it out a bit on the mat and wiping the moisture from her shoes. The men weren't the type that she would want to be looking at her. They seemed a little seedy. Pretending to be unfazed, she walked around looking for any sign of her roommates. There were few women in the bar, the type that wore their hair large, tons of dark makeup, and spiked wristbands. _Large hair_…Sarah closed her eyes a moment and saw the flash of an image when her hair was large and had silvery ornaments in it. She shook her head and the image dispersed. _It's almost as though someone wants me to be remembering this… _The bar still had decorations from the New Year on the wall even though 1994 only had a couple months left to go. The music went from the beat to The Police's "Everything Little Thing She Does is Magic." This song made her heart even sorer. It was beautiful, from the time of her last relationship. She'd listened to it endlessly in her spare time, always reminded of her first dance with him. But now that it was over, she couldn't listen anymore. She had considered sitting at the counter and ordering alone while waiting, but changed her mind. Sarah returned to stand outside.

As the rain grew heavier and Sarah grew tired of standing under her umbrella, she headed across the street to use the payphone, closing the umbrella as she ducked inside and searched for change. Slipping in a quarter, she phoned her apartment. No answer._ Maybe they're just late and on the way._ It wasn't like them to do this, but she didn't want to wait in the rain all evening. They were half an hour late. She also didn't feel like going back to the bar alone. She decided to go back to the apartment. But as she started to open the door again, the rain began to smash into the phone booth, heavier than Sarah had ever seen it before. She had to wait ten minutes until it abated slightly enough for her to rush back out into it. Home was several blocks away. Begrudged, she hurried down the streets, turning the nearest corner to take a shortcut back. A sight made her stop and stare.

There it was, the used bookstore. She had been back many times since, but had never thought to ask since graduation if they had another copy of her beloved book. She was certain that she knew the answer, deep-down. Who had written the book, anyway? Someone else who had gone and survived the journey like her? Or someone from within? It couldn't have been Jareth; why would he write down the words for his undoing? The pages seemed like magic, felt like magic, whenever she had touched them. She had always expected to see an imprint on her fingers where the sensation had been strongest, but there was nothing. She longed to feel that again now. She knew, of course, there was one thing she could say, but didn't dare try it. The last time she had, Jareth had appeared. Sarah couldn't believe how much she was despairing, after all this time of saying that she was strong enough to be an adult, to live without fantasy. And then there was Jareth. She wouldn't want to go back to him. ''Fear me...'' _I do_, Sarah thought, as much as she didn't want to admit it. ''Love me...'' _Impossible_... ''And I will be your slave...'' _Why?_

Suddenly, her trepidation vanished. Now Sarah was drawn to this pursuit, to figure out who had penned the book. There had been no author, no publishing company. Nothing. She couldn't believe she had never questioned it before. If it was simply whipped up by magic, who put it there? Was it to lure a girl like her into the Labyrinth? Again, it couldn't have been Jareth, she was certain of this. Jareth would never give her the option to dispel his power over her (or anyone else) so easily. _I have to know._ She went inside the shop, the chimes on the door announcing her arrival in the empty shop. Sarah headed straight for the area where she had found the little book, and wasn't surprised at all not to find a copy waiting for her. Her forehead creased. _Where did the book come from? _

''May I help you?'' asked the shopkeeper, who had been organizing some books. He was an older man with graying blonde hair. ''Oh, I have seen you before, haven't I? Many times.''

'Yes,'' Sarah said, preoccupied. ''I am looking for a book I bought here several years ago.''

''Well, who is the author?''

''That's the trouble,'' Sarah said. ''I'm not sure.''

''Title?''

She felt her breath catch in her throat. She hadn't said the word aloud in over four years. ''The Labyrinth.''

''I'm afraid since this is my shop and I have very little help, I don't have records of every book. I do try to organize by genre and the layout is the same as it has always been. Perhaps you remember where you found it?''

Sarah thanked him and made her way to the shelf where she had found the Labyrinth. She searched the entire bookcase, through and through, and found nothing. She knew it before she searched that there would be no luck. Sarah remembered the moment she had found it years before. She had been searching for something different and there it had been, a little bound book with no author. Sarah slumped out of the shop. Someone had stolen her copy, she was sure of it. Unless she had really become so distracted that she herself had mistakenly disposed of it.

_I'm an adult_, Sarah thought. _That's probably why I can't go back and why I have nothing to show from the journey. How depressing. This is perhaps how Peter Pan would feel if he returned to London and then tried to go back to Neverland._ Sarah looked around at all of the normal people on the street, the ones who would consider any thought of a fantasy land complete nonsense. She had to be just like them now. Sarah couldn't help it. Two tears slid down her cheeks. No more fantasy. She needed to grow up.

Her body started to feel strange. She felt like a pariah walking down the street alone. Nothing seemed right. She used to imagine that when feeling weird, it had something to do with the Labyrinth. One time, she had been sitting in class on the first day, feeling confident. Until gooseflesh developed on her arms and legs. She dreamed that night that Jareth had been there, invisible, but with his arms wrapped around her. Sarah could easily imagine that smirk he held as he watched her body react with a shiver. She realized upon waking that the feeling had been EXACTLY the same as when Jareth had walked through her on the Escher staircase. She shuddered, feeling this sensation again now after this incident so long ago. When she finally reached the apartment, no one was there. She was grateful to be out of the rain and shook out her umbrella, collapsing on the couch in a jumbled heap. She was tired, probably from waking up in the middle of the night. She reclined as the storm worsened, continuing to wonder where everyone was.

She was just about to remove her dress when the phone rang. She sprinted across the room and snatched the receiver. "Hello?"

"Sarah, it's me." Her roommate Elle's familiar voice came through the line, the erratic sounds of the tempest fresh in the background. "What are you doing at the apartment? Did you decide to stay in because of the storm?"

"I couldn't wait any longer," Sarah said. "The rain was getting heavier and I tried reaching you…"

"What do you mean? We've been there for an hour."

"But…didn't you see me? I was there, until just a while ago. I got there early."

"Maybe we just missed each other," Elle said, now shouting into the phone to be heard above the rainfall.

"You guys go ahead. I'll stay here. I'm kind of tired anyway."

"Alright, we'll be back around midnight."

Sarah hung up the phone and pondered to herself as she returned to her room. Why hadn't they seen each other? She was positive there hadn't been anyone under the overhang or in front of the restaurant. Everyone had been ducking for cover while she'd stood alone in the same place. It sort of shattered the calm of the day, but at least this way she could stay inside and relax, maybe watch another movie of less disturbing content and happier subject matter…

She sat on the couch and started to look at a book, but found she was too restless to read and focus on the story, however enthralling it appeared. She tried the television again, and it served only to slightly calm her. After eating a light dinner and turning off the TV, Sarah went into her bedroom for something. She caught her own eye in the mirror, her face pensive. Again, the questions consumed her. How could she move on to the adult world when there were still so many questions to be answered?

''Hoggle?" she began. "Abrosius, Sir Didymus? Ludo?'' The air was silent. Sarah looked around. ''Please come back to me.'' And it was just as Sarah had feared. They didn't come. ''I'm sorry it's been so long,'' she said. ''But I...I wanted to know I could do it on my own. And I can. I just want to see you all.'' Nothing. She made the horrible realization. Maybe she couldn't connect with them now that she didn't own the book any longer. "I need you." Sarah waited, listening. She nearly cried. Instead, she looked at herself in the mirror, an adult. _It's over._

She plopped onto her bed. "I'm an idiot." She closed her eyes for a few moments, trying to shake off the somber thoughts. She imagined reading her book once more, acting out the lines in it. "For my will is as strong as yours...now I can remember all of the lines and I don't even need them!" she groaned. Relying on the rain to calm her once more, she remained still for a few minutes. _I wish the Goblin King would take you away..._these lines she would not say aloud, even jokingly. "At least I remember," she said, laughing at herself for talking to no one. _At least she'd had that adventure._ When Sarah opened her eyes, she saw a strange, brown object in the corner of her vision. There was her book, resting as though it had been on the nightstand all this time. "What?" She sat up and looked down at it, seeing the letters emblazoned onto the binding. It really was her book, after a year of absence. But how? When she reached for it, she realized in horror that there was suddenly nothing beneath her holding her body up. The bed was gone and she was falling.

Sarah screamed as she encountered only blackness, falling at such a fast rate she was certain she would be crushed whenever she hit the ground. Her stomach seemed to fly up into her throat, her dress hiking up and hair flailing everywhere. Then she was falling in the rain, but against it rather than in the same direction. _Am I falling upward? What the hell is going on?!_ She cried out again, trying to make sense of what to do, but there were no options. This force continued to take her and eventually she spun and spun and spun until it became unbearable. She was soaked to the bone by this time, the drops becoming painful with such opposing force and the speed of her fall. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to make the spinning stop, but instead she blacked out for a moment. It seemed instantaneous to her that her cheek was on wet grass. She was still so dizzy, so frazzled from the fall that she could not think clearly. She looked around, the rain drenching her with every second, and it seemed the weight of the world was upon her body and her head felt light by a stifling contrast. There was nothing in sight but a field and storm. Staggering to her feet, she felt the wet grass come between her toes, the shower of water continuing unabated above. She dragged herself not even a full foot before collapsing onto her back and closing her eyes. _Where did my energy go?_

A shadow cast over her, over those legs which were so exposed. The skirt of her dress was attached to the skin with sticky wetness and blades of grass all over the material. Her hair was completely flattened by the bath. Torrents continued to attack her skin, and at last she opened her eyes, squinting to repel the rain. Her lips began to tremble as she whispered, hardly able to speak.

"Jareth?"


	2. Part II: Jareth's Greeting

Part II

Jareth's Greeting

He was untouched by the rain. The Goblin King appeared just as he had before, an indelible image of perfection that had never left her memory. He looked upon her with an expression so filled with dominance that she immediately lost all sense of confidence in battling against him. _He does hold power over me…_she hoped it was just her exhaustion speaking these words. It was difficult even to think in this condition. She felt so vulnerable, continually being soaked with no mercy, the cold piercing her more than his gaze. He smirked slightly in response to her meek voice.

"Welcome back, Sarah. Did you enjoy the journey?" That voice was still resonant and almost musical. He offered her his hand, enshrouded in black leather. She had imagined the cold to feel like knives pricking into her skin before he appeared; she now felt that they lanced her clean through. She had never desired to be warm as violently as she did now. She was ashamed, feeling weak, her eyes struggling to stay open. That horrible apprehension bundled up all the more within her stomach. He'd made the journey grueling and exhausting for her expressly so she wouldn't be able to fight him off. Also, he had probably done so for revenge and his own enjoyment. _Damn him, _Sarah thought, unable to think clearly by this point. How disorienting it was to look at him, a beacon within the storm, every last drop avoiding contact with him. He tilted his head as though to observe her better.

She remained where she was, waiting, only seeing through a small slit now. His hand was still extended and she recoiled as much as she could when it moved closer. "Amusing. How long do you wish to remain here?"

She felt like she must be dying, siphoned of all strength and energy. It was so cold, so bitterly, bone-shatteringly cold. Anything else seemed a welcome respite. She bit her lip and weakly moved her hand up to his. He laced his fingers with hers and jerked her upward. As soon as she landed on her feet, they stood in a bright room, filled with candles and a glowing hearth. No trace of rain lingered and Sarah stood as though she had never been drenched. It appeared to be nighttime—_was there night in the Labyrinth last time? _she wondered dizzily—and the room regal, far better than anything she had witnessed last time. There was no door, only a glass wall behind her, and the darkness made it impossible to see what stood beyond it. _Is this the castle? But it wasn't anything like this last time._ The Sarah near death had been banished, and now she stood restored to her full vitality and alertness. After her eyes finished scanning the room, they once again fell on Jareth, who stood in silence observing her.

"No words? I must admit I had never expected that from you."

"Am I dreaming?" She asked finally, her throat feeling dry.

"Is this something you dream about often, Sarah?"

Her back tensed as she faced him, unbelieving that he was really right before her. It was very obviously not a dream, at least to her mind. In every dream she'd had of him, she'd lacked all control of her actions. Also, she had never once been able to speak to him in them. "Why am I here?"

"That's more like it." His voice was so much the same, so pleasant and telling that she felt the hair on the back of her neck rise straight up. "Eight years. It has done wonders for you." He pointed to the chairs of velvet cushioning behind her, one seated across from the other in front of the fireplace. "Do make yourself at home. After all, that is what this place is to you now."

"What do you mean?" she asked immediately, ignoring the offer.

"Would you like anything, wine? A peach, perhaps?" The firelight was making his hair glow, the sparkles on his coat iridescent. He was mesmerizing to look at, and though she was back to normal and spared from the frailty of the rainy abyss, she was beginning to feel disoriented again from staring at him for too long. _God, it couldn't be another illusion? Wouldn't I know? _

The little pit in her belly was expanding by the moment. "What do you mean '_home_?'" She pressed, her voice sharp now.

"What does anyone mean when they say 'home?'" He said, toying with the last syllable with a raised eyebrow.

"You don't really mean to keep me here."

"And why not? It cannot be you've forgotten about last time." He seemed to be awaiting her reaction with great anticipation.

Sarah regarded him with a tense gaze, waiting for him to elaborate. When he didn't indulge her, she said, "You mean you're not going to challenge me or make me go through the Labyrinth again?"

"You desire more games? That was not my intention." He looked at her carefully before speaking as she grew all the more disconcerted beneath his gaze, now lined with amusement. "You are to stay here, Sarah."

"But…" she tried desperately to ignore the pinpricks of nerves tingling across her skin in response to his words. "Why did you come now and leave me alone for so long?"

"Alone…yes, you were rather alone until now, weren't you?"

She felt her fear evaporate momentarily, her eyes and voice indignant. "Tell me."

"Still ever the same. So passionate, so..._stubborn_."

"Please answer my question," she said, gritting her teeth.

"If you wish." He looked her up and down with a focused scrutiny before finally meeting her eyes. "I was answering your prayers."

"My _what_?" Her voice was shrill. "What are you talking about?"

He stood a little closer now. God, she's forgotten how tall her was. She couldn't pinpoint, however, why he seemed much more intimidating than before. Last time, she had been afraid, but was able to keep her chin up and act otherwise. Something about him seemed much more dangerous now. Perhaps it was that she was no longer a reckless child and could see things she had never been able to see before. "Your prayers, my dear. Or are you doing to deny it?" He looked at her with what she could only call a seductive glance and it somehow made the task of standing before him even eerier. "Tell me what you want."

"For you to let me out of here."

"And what would you do with freedom, were you to have it back again?"

Now it was Sarah who was staring, disdainfully. "Return, of course."

"Truly?" he scoffed. "After all this time trying to find your book, call your friends back, you want to return to the place you longed to flee?" It wasn't a question, but more of a taunt than anything else. He reached one hand out, playing with a lock of her long hair. She stepped back, glowering at him more. Jareth's chuckled softly. "Oh, how I've missed those eyes." She waited, her fists clenched at her sides even though she knew they would be useless in an actual altercation, in full defense mode. "Let us say that you only meant to leave for a short, little journey. Then what?"

"I would go home," she said without hesitation.

He took a step closer. "To your home? How you fight with your innermost desires! Did you not dream each night of fantasy? Did you not roll around in your bed hoping to escape from the mundane life? You wished to escape into an alternate place, an intrigue you would never find in the 'real' world." His eyes cut through her so deeply she nearly gasped. _It was nothing like this last time!_ she thought to herself. _I was able to tune out his words and keep going. Am I weaker now?_

She finally sat, just so he would stop advancing. "You've been watching me this whole time."

"On and off, dear girl," he replied coolly, sliding into the seat across from her. "Just seeing how much you _really_ enjoyed that world of yours." She knew now that she had been right about him touching her in the classroom, that Escher Sensation, as she called it. He really had put his arms around her, had the power to be unseen, but certainly he had not been undetected.

Sarah fought thoughts of just how often he had been keeping an eye on her, what he'd seen. Instead, she worked up the courage to ask what she'd been longing to this entire time. "What do you want from me?"

"I do not ask you to solve any riddles or embark upon quests," Jareth said, leaning forward in his chair. "Nor will I strike you a bargain. Surely you understand. After all, you can't have forgotten what I said to you before your departure. I imagine it has been burned into your memory and played in your mind over and over again…"

"I also have not forgotten what made you and this whole place vanish." She knew it wasn't wise to sass him, but she was angry. Here he was holding her here, so arrogant, so condescending.

"Are you going to say the words?" His eyes, still piercing, seemed to challenge her to do it.

She took a deep breath, considering. His face remained indifferent and she knew right away it was a bad idea. "I have a feeling that it wouldn't work."

"You'd be right about that. But, by all means, try."

_It's a trick_, she thought at once_. I'll fall through the floor or into an oubliette or something if I try it._ "Why did it work last time, then?"

"Did it really 'work,' Sarah, considering that I stand before you now?" There was that smirk again, that confidence that would never wane.

"But…I defeated you. I got Toby back and we got to go home. I even got to see…" She stopped immediately, on the off-chance that Jareth had no idea about Hoggle and the others visiting her.

"Your dear friends," he finished for her, his face still pleasant despite her slight worries about angering him.

Still gaping, she continued, "Nothing has implied to me in all this time that I didn't—win."

Jareth traced the arms of his chair with those gloved fingers. "You rose to the task of finding the palace in the time limit I set. But you are foolish to believe that you actually bested me. What you really did was reject my kind offers."

"And that was enough to make you go away and leave me alone for eight years?"

"I was waiting for you to summon me again."

"I didn't," she protested. "You brought me here yourself."

"Some things need not be spoken to be heard. You desired to return to the labyrinth, to explore its depths, to witness magic. A wish can be so powerful…" She half-expected him to pull out the crystals again, but he remained as he was, now motionless in his seat.

"But how would that be known? Even if that were true?" she added scathingly.

"You have been bound to the Labyrinth, but more importantly to something else. Can you think of what that might be?"

Sarah raised her eyes, a sinking feeling in her chest. "My book."

"Yes, your book. It knows your desires." He smiled at her. Obviously, that had been the answer he was waiting for because he now smiled craftily.

All of the thoughts she'd had when searching for it returned. The significance of the book, its origin. ''Did you steal it?'' She asked him at last.

''Is that what you believe, Sarah?'' he inquired, a mocking pretense of a hurt voice.

It seemed perfectly silly that he would. He knew that she owned the book that held the words of his prior undoing. Because she had learned later that he was the barn owl who had watched her as she recited the words before the journey._Why return all this time later to steal it? What would be the reason for it? _She would never forget the lines, but he had already proven to her that they were powerless. ''Did you?'' She asked quietly. She had never felt such an intense feeling in her life, to be sitting across from the Goblin King himself and having a conversation. Half of her worried that he might rise from his chair and be the antagonistic man- or whatever he was- that she knew he could be. Half of her worried that she would never be able to return.

''You're asking the wrong questions,'' he said, frustratingly cryptic.

''Who wrote the book?'' she demanded. "Tell me!"

Still no response. He leaned forward some more, the eyes just as she remembered them. ''Where did you find the book, Sarah?'' A question, though his tone was far from inquiring.

''A tiny bookshop.''

''What drew your attention to it?''

''Its title,'' she admitted. ''And that it had no author.''

''Of course it does,'' he said coldly. "Books do not write themselves, do they?"

Sarah frowned, clutching her necklace. ''Is it you?''

''And I would publicly share the words that repel me? Think hard, Sarah. Was there anything unusual about the book?''

She remembered seeing it and grabbing it, but nothing too peculiar. Though she had heard a strange sound upon grasping it. Something like a whisper. The store wasn't completely empty at the time and she had assumed that it was a person in another row of bookshelves.

''It called your name,'' he answered, as though he had been there himself. ''You didn't select the book; it selected you.''

Sarah crossed her arms protectively, not at all enjoying what she was hearing. ''Are you saying it was my fate to find it?''

''Fate is a concept that has lost its significance to misinterpretation and blind faith. What is important is that it connected us.''

Her goosebumps returned, spreading over her arms and bare legs. She didn't like hearing the word "us" pouring from his lips. ''Then you would never have come to me without it? I would have no idea of the Labyrinth's existence?''

''I would know nothing of you. You would be lost in the sea of humans.''

"And if I had never summoned you?"

"Oh, I waited every day for that," he informed her without hesitation. "Did you not think it strange? The barn owl watching you as you recited in the park? Sitting outside of your bedroom window? All that was needed to connect us was an incantation. And the author of the book knew that it would be a child to connect us, to get you to call to me."

''The book…knew I was going to do that? I don't understand.''

Jareth raised his arm and the candles in the room dimmed, the firelight being their main source of visibility. Sarah swallowed hard and ignored it, certain he was trying to menace her without words. ''You don't have to. The fact is that a series of circumstances led us to one another.''

''Then why your absence?''

''Did you miss my presence?'' he said sardonically, not really asking.

"Will you finally tell me what it is you want?" she asked sharply. "I'm tired of sitting here getting nothing but riddles from you."

''What I want will all be made clear to you in a matter of time if it is not so blindingly obvious already. And it does involve your presence,'' he added with a smirk.

''Tell me...'She tried to ask who, why, what he meant. How the book had ended up in her world. Jareth held up one hand.

''No need to rush through the matters at hand,'' he said. ''You've only just returned. We will have all the time in the world to discuss such things.'' _It's only forever…"My Queen."  
_

She felt as though she'd been shot with an arrow. "This can't be real." She hadn't meant to say those words aloud, but they tumbled out.

''Sarah...'' He knelt before her, taking her hand and putting it to his heart. She could feel it beating normally as her own was pumping wildly. She felt the strangest sensation as he did so, almost as though she was floating. ''It is no dream.'' _No, get me out of here. _"Why the sorrow?" he pressed, drawling slowly as she looked away. "I know you studied them, Sarah. All those late nights you studied, trying to learn more about labyrinths and connections. Why, you must have read about Minos a dozen times! I imagine you dreamed of him almost as much as you did of me." Her eyes shot to his and once again he seemed to be provoking her with them, egging her on to challenge what he said. It _was_ true. Sometimes during those study sessions into the early morning hours, cramped into a library alcove, she had selected books on labyrinths from history. Minos of Crete had been the first and she'd devoured the tales of him and the Minotaur repeatedly. She had wondered if there was a possible correlation between the labyrinth of Jareth's world and hers. She'd wanted to see if anything correlated to Jareth, King of the Goblins. Instead, she'd discovered that the first labyrinth had been a grueling arena of sorts. Seven boys and girls sacrificed every so often to serve as meals for the mighty creature. They were sent in, trying to find their way out as the beast roamed around each corner. No one ever succeeded.

"Why study them if you didn't care at all?" His voice softened, so low now. He was lacing his fingers with hers. "If you had no desire to go back?"

"I only wanted to know more. Such as how this place came to be. A fantasy world…how does that connect to the real world?"

A crooked smile formed on the lips of the Goblin King. ''The power of the mind, of desires, is impossible to measure,'' he said. "You are bound to the book by magic. And once magic touches you, you will never forget the sensation. And," he continued, his voice rising to feign sorrow. "it will never release you."

_He planned this. He planned this entire thing. Oh, God._ "Is this your revenge?"

"No, you precious girl. My bringing you here is because my offer is the same as it was before. You're older now, no longer a child. Now the time is ripe for you to remain as you are, this perfect age, forever. You will remain in the Labyrinth and you will never age. Does that not tempt you? The sweet taste of immortality?"

"There is no such thing," she said automatically. _This isn't real. If I deny it, it will fade. _

"Ha! Oh, Sarah. You can believe in magic, the faeries, the creatures, me…but not in immortality?" He was right, of course. She felt fear rise, her heart leaping into her throat. "What is it to be, Sarah? Are you going to resist?"

"I would never say yes. You're…"

"Evil? I told you I could be cruel. But to say I am entirely so would be inaccurate."

Sarah pulled her hand back, unnerved at him being eye level with her and blocking her from leaving her seat. "Your manner of welcoming was less than pleasant."

Now he laughed, a sound that caused her flesh to crawl with fretful ease; she was becoming easier to frighten. "Perhaps I was a bit harsh. But I wished to emphasize the profound difference from your last journey. I was generous. Not so much this time." She stiffened as he continued, "I never forgot you, Sarah. You may have thought you would never return to the Labyrinth again, and that all was behind you, like a dream. You told your friends you were ready to live in the adult world, and they returned as well. I shall allow you to see them…if you cooperate with me. Or are you going to continue to moan about how you view your world as superior?"

"I don't want to stay here," she said, trying to sound imperious but realizing that her voice was rather meek and desperate.

"And what do you want, then, back in this world of yours?"

She hated how he toyed with her emotions. He'd spent this whole encounter poking and prodding at her feelings, trying to get her to succumb to his beckoning. She raised her chin defiantly, determined not to let his words get to her. "I want to start my career."

"You don't really want to be an actress."

Sarah stared at him, feeling gutted as her jaw dropped. "Excuse me?" Her face was red with anger and he was satisfied to see it.

"Come now, dear Sarah. You may enjoy acting, but that's not really your dream. Your dream is to be without inhibitions, to live a life full of wonder and mystery. Following in your mother's footsteps is how you deal with the harsh realities of the world. It distracts you, always being busy. It causes your mind to wander from that burning desire that will never go away. _To leave the mundane behind_. Escapism may as well be your middle name." He stood up, in front of the mantle, his fingers tracing it as he spoke. "Sometimes it would be night after night as you sat in that same nook in the library. Minos, minotaurs, sacrifice. Labyrinthine designs…any book about a labyrinth you could get your little hands on. Magic. And I believe I know why…" His eyes whisked back to hers. "How much your world has disappointed you. Failure to satisfy your thirst for adventure, your expectations. Even love didn't work for you."

"Don't." Sarah's voice cut in dangerously.

"What was his name? It certainly didn't go anywhere…"

"Stop!"

"I will be so much more faithful than he was to you…"

" Shut up!" she cried, standing up to face him.

"Why should I stop, Sarah? Can't you admit the truth?" She was shaking in fury as he continued, stepping yet closer. A clock on the mantle caught Sarah's eye. _Thirteen hours…it's on the thirteenth hour now. Does it mean…this is where it all ends? No return?_ She looked away. "What a pity."

_This is ridiculous. I really do like acting…I always enjoyed those stage productions. It was my dream to be like Mom and get into movies. He's just trying to tear apart anything that attaches me to home.  
_

But then: "Acting is just something you do to get your mind off of the disappointments, the many you've had in that world of yours. It's not one of your dreams. Not really. It was a mere distraction." A kernel of truth.

And it tore right through her.

Sarah felt tears in her eyes, unbelieving that he had dissected her. What was worse, he was right. These were thoughts she never even allowed herself to think…

"The human heart is so complex, is it not?"

Her voice was raspy in response to him knowing too much. Even about her dreams, her breaths short from seething. "Even if it was, that does not mean I wish to be your Queen!"

He was silent, regarding her with an insidious stare. It startled her that she had angered him, or at least annoyed him enough not to alter his countenance. He approached her directly, his eyes narrowing when she stepped back. "Still you spurn all I have done," he finally said. "And you fight against me when I offer nothing but love." He feigned hurt now, but had a devious smile underneath.

"Send me back," she said heatedly. "Right now." The fire in her eyes was appealing, especially with the flames from the fireside reflecting back at the Goblin King.

"I told you once that you were no match for me. Do you recall?" Her jaw tightened as he stood directly before her. This time she didn't back away, choosing instead to stare up at him fiercely. "Do you disagree?"

Sarah thought for a moment before replying. She knew to be bold was to be foolish in this scenario, but she couldn't give in to the bastard. She calmed herself down internally, her breath back to normal. "You know I won't give up so easily."

"Readily apparent." Her arm immediately linked with his, by no doing of her own. She was so startled that Jareth could not help but laugh again. When she sought to pull away, she was unable to do so. He smiled at her. She was spellbound, wondering what sort of enchantment he had cast upon her. Her body began to feel surreal, as though every cell was filled with a quaking of magic. It would have been pleasant had she not been in Jareth's power. Instead she was afraid, each pleasure quickly becoming a pain. He smirked at her, obviously sensing her unease with satisfaction.

"What have you done?" she asked him quietly, her stomach fluttering.

His eyes narrowed. "Why, nothing, my dear girl. Whatever you feel is simply a part of your surroundings. And you." Her blood froze. _He can't be right_, Sarah told herself fretfully. _I've felt nothing, nothing that tells me I'm bound or magical…except for on my way home from the bar. _

''Look into the mirror, Sarah.'' He turned her around, hands on her waist as she stared at herself with him behind her, into a mirror that she hadn't even noticed before, tall with a gilded frame. ''What do you see?'' She was inexplicably drawn to the mirror. A beautiful image suddenly took shape in the looking glass of an enchanted place, a forest. It was so striking that she reached out to touch it. Her fingers went right through the mirror and she gasped, the feeling of what seemed to be electric shock inching its way down to the rest of her body. _Another illusion, a trap_, she suspected. Jareth gently nudged her forward.

"No." Her voice was a whisper, difficult to hear.

Jareth still held her from behind, the feeling between them electric. "Follow me…" She felt compelled to do so and went willingly as he led her out of a door into a garden, aglow thanks to countless fireflies. In the distance, past the myriad of flowers, she could see a stone wall, covered in ivy. _Flowers of every color…I dreamed of this. I dreamed that I frolicked here while he watched me…_

''Did you know that this was in the world of the Labyrinth?'' he asked, though she still could not answer. He took her hand carefully, lacing their fingers together yet again. The material of his black gloves made her skin tingle and she shivered as goosebumps covered her arms. ''It has many things you never imagined it would.'' Holding hands with the Goblin King, her mind screamed that it was dangerous and to get out, but the rest of her body was in a serene state. Sarah was beginning to detest magic now. The grass tickled between her toes and distracted her enough to look away from the field. When she looked up, she and Jareth stood in the dark with nothing around them.

"There is so much to find here in the Labyrinth…all beyond your wildest dreams." His voice sounded as sweet as chocolate, seductively lowering as he led her through a veil of fog that had materialized out of nowhere. He stood behind her now and the fog disappeared. They were now standing before the garden wall; amidst the vines and leaves, a tall mirror appeared. _The same one?_ She wondered dizzily. Sarah looked at her reflection, with the Goblin King behind her, that tantalizing stare burning into her flesh. The image in the mirror morphed. In the deep woods, she could see a unicorn grazing, its horn the crowning glory of the beautiful creature, a bright white steed that any warrior would have loved to claim. An ethereal woman, skin flawless and pale, wore a blue cloak over a flowing gown the color of ice, holding out her hand. The unicorn accepted her gentle strokes and allowed her to mount the horse. Sarah watched in awe as she could see trees whose leaves glowed brighter than she knew a glow could be. Leaves flew everywhere, yet so slowly they seemed under a spell. Jareth put his hands upon Sarah's shoulders, but she was too entranced to stop staring or to notice that her own surroundings had melted away. Both in the mirror and real life, the woods had taken a heavenly feel, the trees trunks now lit with miniature silver lights as the moon shone above. She realized each was a small flame, somehow confined and controlled. It was beyond beautiful. Sarah couldn't think of a word to describe it, but for "sublime"; it was a topic that had been discussed in literature, but never before had she experienced transcendence of this measure. She moved closer to what she thought was still the mirror, mesmerized by the sight before her.

The trees had small, smooth steps made of wood that spiraled around the trunks, the lights emanating from the railings. A series of bridges connected the trees, also shimmering with silver beams. Sarah realized as she peered closer that each light was a firefly, not in sync with one another. She had never seen anything so appealing. Jareth's hand rested on her stomach, lightly drawing her from her pondering. She looked down at his gloved fingers and questioned his thoughts. As she had removed her focus upon the mirror now she realized at last that she was in those woods that had been so inspirational. Only in her dreams had she experienced such beauty. Isn't that what she had really envisioned before her adventure, rather than the frustrating, sometimes utterly unpleasant corners of the maze?

Jareth took her hand and wordlessly she followed him. They began to ascend the steps of the nearest tree. She felt her heart leap, the beauty becoming more magnificent with each step. She could feel something strange within her, compelling her to go further. They walked across one of the bridges, at last standing on one to rest. Sarah pulled away from Jareth without contempt and stood near the rail, gazing at the treetops, which continued to twinkle like stars. _It's so beautiful…it's everything I've ever wanted. To live in, experience a fantasy land. _Sarah dropped her head and looked at the ground below. It was as she had feared. This adventure would not be possible without Jareth. It would have been so good, so pleasing to simply be allowed to visit the Labyrinth, to be free to come and go. She would be able to see her friends, to enjoy the splendor and have her adventure. Surely there were more things to uncover, more corners to turn. But Jareth wanted her. She couldn't simply walk in and out without a price; she couldn't visit everyone, go where she pleased. She had the almost grotesque image of half-goblins running around, but at the same time, she knew they would be beautiful, because of him. Her eyes became misty. She remembered the scene of the movie she had watched before going into town, the girl's shirt being ripped off, the obsessive stalker over her on the bed. Sarah closed her eyes. _I can't_. And image of Jareth forcing her down aggressively crossed her mind, tearing off her clothes. She remembered the fear shooting through her during the masquerade illusion. The fear, the knowledge that she was vulnerable and in a place she should flee…She took in a tearful breath. The Labyrinth would have been so ideal had it not been for this agenda of its king. However easy it sounded to simply run into his arms, it wasn't so. He was comelier than any other man she'd ever seen, able to easily stir women up, and full of a seductive world of crystals and, within each diamond sphere, a fantasy- a fantasy that belonged to her. Had she had no conscience or will, it would have been simple. To say he was beautiful was an understatement. Alluring, mysterious, fascinating…

_Evil._

She turned away from the view and made to go back down the stairs of the nearest tree.

"Do you enjoy the view, Sarah? Have you not found pleasure in all that you have seen?" Labyrinth's master had a voice that dangled tantalizingly around her. How could a voice be so pleasant, no matter what words it spoke? Sarah's tears were difficult to obscure, even with her back turned. Jareth wouldn't allow her to descend the stairwell and gently turned her around. Sarah backed into the tree, raising her red, wet eyes to lock with his. She wouldn't have called his expression nurturing, though perhaps that may have been his intention. Instead, he still seemed smug and triumphant, though to a lesser degree. Every moment the shadows and flickers on his face shifted because of the fireflies. "Isn't this all you ever dreamed of? Isn't this the sum of all your fantasies and desire? To dance in the fields, to see the new, and walk the treetops in the mystical forest?"

"In my dreams, I was never a slave," she replied indignantly.

He laughed softly, not vindictively, but in slight amusement at her choice of language. "All things have a price." Jareth's fingers began to weave through her hair. She felt her body heat. She felt a horrid fear in the pit of her stomach about what would happen. "However, it is a truly fair one. You get the Labyrinth, to RULE it entirely, every whim, all I can do for you. I will be _your_ slave, just as I vowed."

"And why can't I be as I was? I…" She knew the argument was weak, her cries sounded pithy, and she felt singed by his gaze.

"Do you think I would simply accept that, Sarah? For you to only come to the Labyrinth on a whim? And what about when you get older? Will you visit me when you're old and gray? When you're married or divorced to some vile creature and cry in my ears that you should have stayed?"

She winced. "At least I would have made my own decisions. I wouldn't be forced into anything!"

"Have you forgotten that you are connected eternally to this place?"

She felt her stomach drop. _No, no, no…don't listen to him._ "Then break it." In a bout of paranoia, she analyzed the sensations of her body. Nothing seemed…extraordinary at the moment, at least not within her. Obviously what she was seeing was unworldly, but her body seemed hers at the moment.

Jareth smirked. "You would forever feel that you had beaten the Labyrinth- me. But that's where you're wrong. You never won. My kindness only accelerated you to the height of self-satisfaction. It felt good, didn't it? Being so young and able to defeat a king. Oh, how lucky you are, how fortunate that I allowed you to leave, to take your brother and enjoy your world. I think myself kind to take notice of your desire for fantasy and adventure. You won't feel like a slave with how I shall lavish you, the power you shall possess in your hands, the adventure of it all! I am kind to be treating you well; I should think most abductors, as you would call them, would not be so considerate. So, I'm afraid I won't break anything. It wouldn't suit me."

She looked at him in disbelief, her rebellion mounting. "So you intend to force me?"

Jareth smiled, disturbing her greatly and causing gooseflesh to pulsate across her body. "You will soon find that nothing will be by force. You'll yield to me most passionately. And don't attempt to argue, my dear. You will see all in good time."

"NO." Her reaction was immediate.

"You don't believe it. But I can make you see things quite clearly." In the glittering darkness, he held up one hand as though to touch her. "Have you not been listening? The magic is part of you now. It cannot be removed. You can never have a normal human life again. Nor would you want to. Don't be such a hypocrite, Sarah. Desiring magic one moment and then casting the notion away."

Sarah backed away, stung by the assessment. _God, he's right, though._ And she hated him and herself all the more for it.

"It is nothing to be ashamed of. The human heart is torn so easily. Nothing is ever really cut-and-dried, is it, Sarah? With every assertion, there are always circumstances that may sway your opinion entirely or amend it in certain areas. And in this case, what may seem wrong feels so _good_."

Here Sarah actually felt this pleasure he spoke of, snaking its way into her mind. She shook her head and turned away from him. "You're the Goblin King. I remember these mind games you tried to play last time."

"To what are you referring?" He asked, clearly knowing what she was going to say.

"For starters, that peach."

"And what was so evil about that?"

"That world was…" She had to admit it wasn't evil. She'd been frightened by the monster in the box and intimidated by the masqueraders, all hidden and seemingly safe behind their masks while she was vulnerably visible for all to see.

"Frightening?"

It had been, but she ignored him. "A distraction. You were trying to keep me from winning and getting Toby back."

"Was I? All I was really doing was showing you your dreams, as I promised when we first met face-to-face." She felt his fingers trail down her back. "Those were your imaginings, Sarah…including the desire to dance with me."

"No…"

"Oh, yes," he asserted with a smile, his voice perfectly serene and almost soothing. "Those were your dreams. And you were too afraid to face them…"

"That can't be true." She was just speaking blindly now, trying to stop him from continuing. Each word he spoke seemed to reveal more she didn't want to hear and in her mind, she would protest them repeatedly only to have a little voice in the back of her mind tell her she was dead wrong.

"Am I so evil, Sarah? I have said before that nothing is so cut-and- dried, so decided, so absolutely one way or another."

"You were going to turn Toby into a goblin," she protested.

"After you begged and wished for him to be taken away."

"But if you weren't evil, you would have returned him."

"Because 'it's not fair' to return something that's given to you?" Jareth asked, his lips curling. "I was simply giving you the adventure you desired. I believe you truly underestimate your internal desires, Sarah. However, they're not so secret, now are they?" he said with feigned sorrow. She felt her breath catch in her throat when he moved his hand down her back. "The book knows them. The crystals know them._ I_ know them."

She began walking away, having had enough. "Please leave me alone."

"Did you really think I brought you here to leave you alone?"

She knew he was going to grab her. She felt the blood drain from her face at his expression before he caught her in his arms. He didn't have to struggle with her, possessing strength so extreme it surprised her. Physically, he didn't seem so commanding, though his magic was formidable; but his own strength was beyond powerful. But the feeling that entered her veins was what sent her into complete shock. She'd never realized just how harsh this magic was. He had always seemed such an imposing figure, even with the glitzy appearance. And now she understood why. Her sense of danger had elevated so high, she wondered if she would lose consciousness. His face was so close, that false nurturing glance. She realized it was impossible to move, even had he not been so strong. The magic, or whatever this powerful sense was bound her. She was suddenly angry at all he had said, furious at his analysis of her and certainty that she would give in. When his face bent closer, she gritted her teeth at him and actually tried to bite him, her only permitted movement. _Sick. He left me only the option to kiss him back._ Jareth's brow furrowed in anger at last. Sarah felt the floor begin to shake. She looked at Jareth desperately while he simply gazed back in disdain, his eyes full of ice. "You shouldn't have done that, Sarah."


End file.
